Slotwall panels and corresponding brackets are well known systems for mounting objects on walls or other surfaces. Typically, the slotwall panels comprise a plurality of horizontal mounting slats with slots between each slat, and the brackets are hung on the slats. The brackets are adapted to support a variety of objects ranging from tools in a workroom to products that are on display in a retail store. Because the brackets can usually be mounted anywhere on the slats, slotwall panel systems are versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes. There is a continuing need for improved slotwall panels and brackets that are aesthetically appealing, easy to use and install, and able to securely support large, heavy objects.
In one aspect, the invention relates to a slotwall panel storage system comprising a slotwall panel having a plurality of generally xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots forming a plurality of generally xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats having edges defined by said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots, said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots having a bottom wall generally parallel to and spaced inwardly from a face of said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats; and at least one bracket for removably mounting a device on said slotwall panel. The bracket comprises a support portion for attaching the device to said bracket; a first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook on one edge of said support portion opening in a first direction to hook over an edge of a slat; a second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook on an opposite edge of said support portion opening in said first direction to hook behind an adjacent slat; and a spring arm extending from said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook generally in a direction opposite to said first direction to engage an adjacent xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slat.
The spring arm extends at an acute angle toward said support portion to bias said bracket away from said slat when said bracket is mounted on said slotwall panel with said spring arm engaged behind the adjacent slat. Said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook holds said bracket adjacent said slat under tension of said spring arm whereby said spring arm provides a friction lock to hold said bracket and the device on said slotwall panel against inadvertent removal.
Said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook engages the bottom wall of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slot when a load is placed on said bracket by said device whereby said bracket is maintained generally parallel to and spaced from the face of the slat over which said bracket is installed causing the load placed on said bracket by said device to be carried by the upper edge of the slat on which said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook is installed and the bottom wall of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slot in which said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook is installed. Said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook engages the upper edge of the slat adjacent said second xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9d shaped hook when the load placed on said bracket by said device causes the edge of the slat on which said bracket is installed to deform whereby the load placed on said bracket by said device is carried by the upper edge of the adjoining slat in addition to the slat on which said bracket is installed and the bottom wall of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slot.
The bracket can be formed from sheet material and said first and second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hooks have a first leg extending in a direction generally perpendicular from an edge of said support portion and a second leg extending from the distal end of said first leg in first direction generally parallel to said support portion.
The first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook has a first leg and a second leg. In one configuration, the first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook can comprise two distinct sections separated by the spring arm, which has a first arm generally co-planar with the first legs of said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hooks and a second arm extending at an acute angle from the distal end of said first arm in a direction opposite to said first direction toward said support portion. The distal end of said second arm of said spring arm is bent to extend generally parallel to said support portion for contacting an adjacent xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slat.
The second leg of said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook is shorter than the second leg of said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook whereby said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook is free to move in the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slot adjacent the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slat on which said bracket is installed thereby allowing said second leg of said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook to engage said adjacent xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slat when said bracket is not loaded by said device, and allowing said second leg of said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook to engage the bottom wall of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slot when a load is placed on said bracket by said device.
The bracket can be formed of sheet steel and the device can be welded to the support portion of said bracket. The support portion has a pattern of raised surfaces for engaging said device and defining discrete weld points.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a slotwall panel storage system according to the invention comprising a slotwall panel comprising a plurality of spaced, horizontally-oriented xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats, with each adjacent pair of xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats forming an inverted xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slot therebetween, the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats having a face terminating in opposing upper and lower edges, the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots having a bottom wall partially underlying the lower edge and upper edge of adjacent xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats such that the space between the lower and upper edges of the adjacent xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats defining an opening to the slot and the slot undercuts the lower and upper edges of the adjacent xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats, and at least one bracket for removably mounting a device on the slotwall panel. The bracket comprises a support portion for attaching the device to the bracket; a first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook extending from the support portion in a first direction to hook over an upper edge of a first slat; a second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook extending from the support portion to hook over an upper edge of a second slat located beneath the first slat; and a spring arm extending from the support portion in a direction opposite to the first direction to engage a lower edge of a third slat located above the first slat.
Each of the first and second adjoining xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots comprises an opening that is larger than said first and second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hooks so that said at least one bracket can be mounted to said slotwall panel by inserting said first and second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hooks into the first and second adjoining xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots.
Each of said first and second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hooks have a first leg extending in a direction generally perpendicular from the edge of said support portion and a second leg extending from said first leg in the first direction generally parallel to said support portion. The second leg of said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook is shorter than the second leg of said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook whereby said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook rests on the edge of the slat, and said second xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook rests on the adjacent slat when said bracket is loaded to cause the edge of the slat under said first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook to deform.
In one configuration, a plurality of brackets are used to support the device on said slotwall panel and at least two of said plurality of brackets are horizontally spaced on said device for engaging the same slats.
In another configuration, a plurality of brackets are used to support the device on said slotwall panel and at least two of said plurality of brackets are vertically spaced on said device. Said device includes a housing, said plurality of brackets are attached to said housing with bolts, and said plurality of brackets extend a substantial portion of the width of said housing. At least one of the plurality of brackets is attached to the housing in a fixed position on said housing. Another of the plurality of brackets is adjustably attached to said housing such that the first xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d shaped hook of said another of the plurality of brackets can be adjusted relative to the housing to thereby rest on the slat. Said housing comprises holes sized for receiving said bolts for attaching said at least one of the plurality of brackets in a fixed position, and elongated slots for receiving said bolts for adjustably attaching said another of the plurality of brackets to the housing. Each of said plurality of brackets is attached to said housing with at least two bolts.
The slotwall panel comprises a predetermined number (n) of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots forming a number (nxe2x88x921) of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats having a full width, and wherein said slotwall panel has a first longitudinal edge having a first half width slat and a first connector and a second longitudinal edge having a second half width slat and a second mating connector, whereby individual slotwall panels can be joined together along the first and second longitudinal edges such that said first and second connectors mate and said first and second half width slats abut to form a full width slat.
The first connector comprises a rib protruding from said first longitudinal edge and said second connector comprises a mating groove formed in said second longitudinal edge. Said first and second connectors are offset from the center of said first and second longitudinal edges of said slotwall panel. The first and second connectors can be offset toward a surface opposite said xe2x80x9cFxe2x80x9d shaped slats. Alternatively, the first and second connectors are centered on said first and second longitudinal edges of said slotwall panel. The full width xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats have a longitudinal groove in the center of said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped full width slats.
Said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots have a longitudinal groove in said bottom wall to center fasteners used to mount said slotwall panel on a structure. At least one of said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots comprises repeating ruler markings along said longitudinal groove to facilitate mounting said slotwall panel to a wall with studs. Said repeating ruler markings are at least one of 1 to 16 and 1 to 24 accompanied by tick marks to facilitate mounting on the wall with the studs located one of 16 inches and 24 inches apart. The repeating 1 to 16 inch ruler markings are provided on one side of said longitudinal groove and the repeating 1 to 24 inch ruler markings on opposite side of said longitudinal groove.
Said slotwall panel can be foamed plastic material. The slotwall panel can be extruded foamed material including polyvinyl chloride. Said slotwall panel can be wood with said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots formed by removing material to form said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats. Said slotwall panel can be a wood base with said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots formed by attaching xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped wood slats to the wood base. Said slotwall panel can be particle board with said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots formed by removing material to form said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats. Said slotwall panel can be a particle board base with said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots formed by attaching xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats to the particle board base. Said slotwall panel can be plywood with said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots formed by removing material to form said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats. Said slotwall panel can be a plywood base with said xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slots formed by attaching xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped slats to the plywood base. Said slotwall panel can be extruded aluminum.